Help!!! Ammonia stuck at same spot during cycle

[drizzy_052248]

Perfect! Literally walk away from the tank for the next 3 days. You can look, but not touch

Hey I'm back with bad news, interesting and confusing results with the test, ammonia is now at 1 ppm and nitrite is lower with like a 0.12.5 ppm? In the middle between 0 and 0.25. Nitrates still the same roughly, I've attached a picture if the test results, this is what I'm saying, ammonia never goes lower idk what's wrong ?

 

[mcordelia]

Aww bummer it seems that your cycle either got screwed up somewhere or something happened, but looks like you are still on the thick of it

Refresh my memory: do you have a source of pure ammonia, or are you stuck doing fish food as a source?

Here's what I would suggest:
1) since you don't have high nitrites and you are doing a fishless cycle, I would add some more fish food or ammonia so that your ammonia goes to about 2-3ppm. Add some today, then measure again the day after tomorrow and see what your ammonia looks like.

2) keep testing for nitrites every few days until they go up. If they go way off the charts, it may be necessary to do a water change, but otherwise just let the tank do it's thing.

3) buy some plants. Not only are plants useful for your fish, they also often come with some bacteria on them (if you buy ones that are inside a fish tank) so they will help start the cycle as well. They will help stabilize the water parameters. Some plants can be sensitive to ammonia, but I see a lot of people with plants in the tank while they are doing a fishless cycle, so as long as you stick to hardy/run of the mill plants you should be fine.

4) try to get your hands on a bacterial starter, such as tetra safe start plus, Seachem stability, API Quick Start etc. Avoid stuff that describes itself as "contains bacteria to maintain aquarium" or "helps break down fish waste" and instead look for a product that says it will "jump start the nitrogen cycle" or "contains nitrifying bacteria for aquarium cycle".

5) try and follow this recipe as best you can to cycle your tank: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/

 

[drizzy_052248]

Aww bummer it seems that your cycle either got screwed up somewhere or something happened, but looks like you are still on the thick of it

Refresh my memory: do you have a source of pure ammonia, or are you stuck doing fish food as a source?

Here's what I would suggest:
1) since you don't have high nitrites and you are doing a fishless cycle, I would add some more fish food or ammonia so that your ammonia goes to about 2-3ppm. Add some today, then measure again the day after tomorrow and see what your ammonia looks like.

2) keep testing for nitrites every few days until they go up. If they go way off the charts, it may be necessary to do a water change, but otherwise just let the tank do it's thing.

3) buy some plants. Not only are plants useful for your fish, they also often come with some bacteria on them (if you buy ones that are inside a fish tank) so they will help start the cycle as well. They will help stabilize the water parameters. Some plants can be sensitive to ammonia, but I see a lot of people with plants in the tank while they are doing a fishless cycle, so as long as you stick to hardy/run of the mill plants you should be fine.

4) try to get your hands on a bacterial starter, such as tetra safe start plus, Seachem stability, API Quick Start etc. Avoid stuff that describes itself as "contains bacteria to maintain aquarium" or "helps break down fish waste" and instead look for a product that says it will "jump start the nitrogen cycle" or "contains nitrifying bacteria for aquarium cycle".

5) try and follow this recipe as best you can to cycle your tank: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/

hey thanks for the reply. I am still doing fish food as my source of ammonia. I will try and put more ammonia but ive tried this before and it didnt work. But i will try it again cuz i trust u lol. Also for the plants, i wouldnt know which ones to get or how to take care of them. Wouldn't i also need some type of fertilizer because ive heard of that or something like that i'm not too sure. As for the bacterial starter ok i will try to get one of those. Which one do you like or suggest most? Thanks!

 

[mcordelia]

I would recommend tetra safe start plus, but the other two mentioned are also good products. It's important to protect them from temperature extremes, since that can degrade them/make them ineffective.

A lot of aquarium plants are pretty easy and don't need extra anything. I would recommend plants like java fern, java moss, amazon sword plant, water sprite, water wisteria, hornwort, anubias nana, and if none of the above are available, the cryptocoryne family of plants. Also floating plants like duckweed and frogbit. Duckweed can be kind of annoying though, so depends if you like the look of it or not. When you buy a plant, do a quick Google search on it to check how to plant it, some plants need to be in the gravel whereas others will die if they are actually "planted".

It is still a good sign that you are seeing nitrates, and it's possible that your nitrites are going down because you're getting close to having your cycle complete. Just get your ammonia up (and keep testing to make sure it doesn't go super high (above 4ppm)), and with a bacterial starter you should be in business in 1-2 weeks.

 

[drizzy_052248]

I would recommend tetra safe start plus, but the other two mentioned are also good products. It's important to protect them from temperature extremes, since that can degrade them/make them ineffective.

A lot of aquarium plants are pretty easy and don't need extra anything. I would recommend plants like java fern, java moss, amazon sword plant, water sprite, water wisteria, hornwort, anubias nana, and if none of the above are available, the cryptocoryne family of plants. Also floating plants like duckweed and frogbit. Duckweed can be kind of annoying though, so depends if you like the look of it or not. When you buy a plant, do a quick Google search on it to check how to plant it, some plants need to be in the gravel whereas others will die if they are actually "planted".

It is still a good sign that you are seeing nitrates, and it's possible that your nitrites are going down because you're getting close to having your cycle complete. Just get your ammonia up (and keep testing to make sure it doesn't go super high (above 4ppm)), and with a bacterial starter you should be in business in 1-2 weeks.

Idon rlly know much about plants like if they die rot or something is wrong with them i wouldnt know. yes ik i can research them, but im just not comfortable as of rn since im kinda still a beginner lol! but if my cycle is nearly complete why is there still ammonia? and why did it get higher while nitrite got lower and then nitrates the same, it doesnt make sense. Idk whats wrong but ill try what you said, so i shouldn't do that water change like last week you said? jus continue putting food in? Thanks!

 

[mcordelia]

I know literally nothing about plants outside what I just typed above. I approach it along the lines of "ok this is $5 and it might live and look cool or it might die/rot and I'll have to take it out of the tank, let's see what happens". When I said to google the plants, I meant like quickly in the store look up a youtube video to see how to plant them and see if that's a plant you like or not. I didn't mean "research" them, but you definitely can!

Yeah I don't know what's going on with your cycle to be honest, you have an ammonia source somewhere (maybe just the fish food, maybe something else I'm not sure). The reason I said to add more fish food is that according to the recipe (link I posted), you have more leeway in stocking your tank if you cycle with ammonia at 3ppm. If you have ammonia stuck at 1ppm, it means that you don't yet have enough bacteria to support 3 ppm, so that's why I said to keep adding ammonia.
Last week I said to do a water change since it sounded like you might have had a TON of ammonia source and your nitrites might have gone through the roof before you finished cycling, but the new data doesn't suggest this so that's why I'm trying to save you some effort in avoiding the water change. You don't want to add so much food that your while tank is coated, but you also want to keep the bacteria fed. It's tough to cycle with fish food, since I don't really know how much is a good amount to use, and there's a delay when the food rots and turns into ammonia.

I'll also link @Essjay here, she's really knowledgeable about cycling, and might have some additional thoughts.

I know this is frustrating because something is wonky and you just want to be able to add fish, but I think you're doing the right thing.

 

[drizzy_052248]

I know literally nothing about plants outside what I just typed above. I approach it along the lines of "ok this is $5 and it might live and look cool or it might die/rot and I'll have to take it out of the tank, let's see what happens". When I said to google the plants, I meant like quickly in the store look up a youtube video to see how to plant them and see if that's a plant you like or not. I didn't mean "research" them, but you definitely can!

Yeah I don't know what's going on with your cycle to be honest, you have an ammonia source somewhere (maybe just the fish food, maybe something else I'm not sure). The reason I said to add more fish food is that according to the recipe (link I posted), you have more leeway in stocking your tank if you cycle with ammonia at 3ppm. If you have ammonia stuck at 1ppm, it means that you don't yet have enough bacteria to support 3 ppm, so that's why I said to keep adding ammonia.
Last week I said to do a water change since it sounded like you might have had a TON of ammonia source and your nitrites might have gone through the roof before you finished cycling, but the new data doesn't suggest this so that's why I'm trying to save you some effort in avoiding the water change. You don't want to add so much food that your while tank is coated, but you also want to keep the bacteria fed. It's tough to cycle with fish food, since I don't really know how much is a good amount to use, and there's a delay when the food rots and turns into ammonia.

I'll also link @Essjay here, she's really knowledgeable about cycling, and might have some additional thoughts.

I know this is frustrating because something is wonky and you just want to be able to add fish, but I think you're doing the right thing.

Thank you so much youve helped me alot throughout this whole mess. I'll do what you said, add some fish food, then wait until Tuesday to test it. I have added alot of ammonia in before thats the thing but it stayed the same, i guess we'll see tuesday, thank you so much once again appreiciate it

 

[mcordelia]

Of course hopefully we can get a handle on this cycle!!

 

[Essjay]

In the length of time you've been cycling, you must have some bacteria by now, the question is just 'how many?'. With fish food you can't know how much ammonia has been made in the tank.
I think what I would do now is a total water change to remove any ammonia or nitrite, then go shopping. Buy a few bunches of anacharis and lever the stems to float on the surface of the tank. And think about fish.
If you introduce fish a few at a time, the anacharis should take up the ammonia made by the fish. Check anmonia and nitrite every day, and after a couple of weeks of zeros, get some more fish. When you've had a tankful of fish and double zeros for a couple of weeks, you can then remove the anacharis one stem at a time every few days.


This is a 10 gallon tank, and I know you've mentioned dwarf gouramis but the tank is too small for this species. Plus dwarf gouramis are usually infected by one if not both of two incurable diseases by the time they reach the store.
10 gallon tanks are too small for a lot of fish.

Have we established whether you have hard or soft water yet? If not, look on your water provider's website.

Anything except very hard - one betta, male or female
Soft water - one of the boraras species https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/search/boraras or ember tetras https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/search/ember+tetra
Hard water - endlers https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/poecilia-wingei/

 

[drizzy_052248]

In the length of time you've been cycling, you must have some bacteria by now, the question is just 'how many?'. With fish food you can't know how much ammonia has been made in the tank.
I think what I would do now is a total water change to remove any ammonia or nitrite, then go shopping. Buy a few bunches of anacharis and lever the stems to float on the surface of the tank. And think about fish.
If you introduce fish a few at a time, the anacharis should take up the ammonia made by the fish. Check anmonia and nitrite every day, and after a couple of weeks of zeros, get some more fish. When you've had a tankful of fish and double zeros for a couple of weeks, you can then remove the anacharis one stem at a time every few days.


This is a 10 gallon tank, and I know you've mentioned dwarf gouramis but the tank is too small for this species. Plus dwarf gouramis are usually infected by one if not both of two incurable diseases by the time they reach the store.
10 gallon tanks are too small for a lot of fish.

Have we established whether you have hard or soft water yet? If not, look on your water provider's website.

Anything except very hard - one betta, male or female
Soft water - one of the boraras species https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/search/boraras or ember tetras https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/search/ember+tetra
Hard water - endlers https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/poecilia-wingei/

Hey thanks so much for the reply, i will test it tomorrow after putting some fish food in couple days earlier too see what happens and ill update it here like @mcordelia said to try this out. If nothing happens, i will do a 100% water change while removing some rotten fish food that i can see from the substrate, so basically what @mcordelia suggested at first. Now that i think of it, ive decided not to get a dwarf gourami and just a female betta with some cory catfish (Had them before and it worked out great) My source of water is moderately hard thats what it says online. As for the anacharis ive been searching it up and i cant find any near me . Ill keep on doing updates if u would like to tune in including one tommorow morning with the test update. I'm open to any advice. Thanks for all your help i really appreciate it!!

 

[Essjay]

There are other plants you can use to take up ammonia. If you would like to keep them in there permanently, look at frogbit. That's a floating plants and will soon cover the surface - I have it in both my tanks. It has roots which hang down in the water and a betta would love to swim among the roots. Mine has one long root per plant plus lots of short roots - I frequently have to give the long roots a haircut or they'd trail on the bottom of the tank.
If you can get hornwort, that can also be left to float on the surface.

Plants which float on the surface take up more ammonia than lower down plants because they are nearer the lights and they can get carbon dioxide from the air.



Re the hardness - does your water supplier give a number? Words can be misleading. I know that UK water suppliers' words make the water sound harder than t really is, and Canadian suppliers may do the same.

 

[drizzy_052248]

There are other plants you can use to take up ammonia. If you would like to keep them in there permanently, look at frogbit. That's a floating plants and will soon cover the surface - I have it in both my tanks. It has roots which hang down in the water and a betta would love to swim among the roots. Mine has one long root per plant plus lots of short roots - I frequently have to give the long roots a haircut or they'd trail on the bottom of the tank.
If you can get hornwort, that can also be left to float on the surface.

Plants which float on the surface take up more ammonia than lower down plants because they are nearer the lights and they can get carbon dioxide from the air.



Re the hardness - does your water supplier give a number? Words can be misleading. I know that UK water suppliers' words make the water sound harder than t really is, and Canadian suppliers may do

Hey, just tested it right now, not even gonna bother showing you the pics, its exactly like the last test, I will now do as a big of a water change as I can while removing some of the rotten food I see in the substrate today, after I do the water change what do you guys suggest I do? Test it 30 mins after is the first step right? should I add some more fish food in later tonight? What do you think I should do step by step as of rn after the water change? Any advice is helpful, thanks guys.

Edit: For the plants, would i need to anything special with it? or can i just put it in the tank, i kindve know nothing about live plants in a aquarium lol

 

[Essjay]

Test it 30 mins after is the first step right?

That's to allow the new water and any old water in the tank to mix thoroughly or you could find you are testing a bit of all new or all old water.


You have 2 choices that I can see.
Carry on adding fish food until you get double zeros. You do need to remove the old fish food before it goes mouldy.

Or get some cheap plants that can be left to float and once they are showing signs of growing, get fish.

 

[drizzy_052248]

That's to allow the new water and any old water in the tank to mix thoroughly or you could find you are testing a bit of all new or all old water.


You have 2 choices that I can see.
Carry on adding fish food until you get double zeros. You do need to remove the old fish food before it goes mouldy.

Or get some cheap plants that can be left to float and once they are showing signs of growing, get fish.

Yea ik to test it 30 mins to let all of them mix, alright so i'm gonna try removing the old fish food in the tank that i can see, then continue adding food? idk i guess thats what im gonna do, as for the plants, are there any plants that do not require much care, like plants that i don't need to put fertilizer, like just plants that i can put in and it'll do the job? Thanks
Edit: I'll also post the test updates here after the WC if you guys want to see the updates i'll appreciate it lol

 

[Essjay]

I started out with plants that are grown attached to decor - java fern and anubias. I didn't feed these and they grew fine, though being slow growing they don't take up much ammonia. Floating plants don't take much care, just thinning out when they threaten to take over. I have frogbit on both my tanks now and it is a suitable size for a 10 gallon. I do feed this, I just use a less than recommended dose of Seachem Flourish Comprehensive Supplement once a week, the day after a water change.